Data Insight: The health and economic benefits of active commuting in Scotland

Active commuting, predominantly walking and cycling for journeys to work or study, provides a range of benefits to individuals and societies. Research in this area is often challenging given the availability of data sources which allow for detailed and focused investigations. In 2016, Scottish Census data were made available, via application, for the first time for research purposes.

Our work uses these data to examine the health and economic benefits of walking and cycling for commuting purposes at a national level in Scotland.

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What we found

1. Nationally, active modes of commuting accounted for a modal share of 13.5% (n=244,009) in 2001, and 14.5% (n=286,145) in 2011, with less than 2% of the population choosing to cycle at each time-point.
2. There was considerable variation across local authorities for active commuting, with the main cities in Scotland having the highest levels at around one in four commuters choosing an active mode.
3. We estimated that in 2011, half of all active commuters in Scotland would meet the UK recommended amount of physical activity (150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week) through their commute alone if this was performed on 5 days per week.
4. Despite low modal shares of active commuting in both 2001 and 2011, we found that approximately 200 deaths per year could be prevented from current levels of walking and cycling commuting.
5. This equates to health benefits with annual economic values of approximately EUR 0.9 billion in 2001 and approximately EUR 0.8billion in 2011. The majority of the benefit was due to walking.

Why it matters

This work highlights the utility of making administrative data available for research purposes. For the first time it was possible to estimate, using individual level data, benefits to Scotland of active commuting. In the recovery from Covid-19, it is likely that mobility patterns will change and levels of active commuting may be impacted. These findings provide clear evidence of the substantial benefits which can be generated from even modest levels of active commuting. They can be used by local authorities, and other organisations, to continue to champion for greater promotion of active travel.